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This huge body of water is
45 km across in the west but narrows to less than 10 km by
the time it reaches Clevedon.
It's influence is more than just tidal.
It is what makes the weather in this part of the country unique.
But why?
Air moves faster over the sea
than over the land because there is less friction.
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| Barriers protect
vehicles from gusts on the Severn Bridge |
The wind is also funnelled
between Exmoor, on one side, and the Welsh Mountains on the
other.
When the winds are between
southwest and westnorthwest, it can be very windy, not just
on the Second Severn Crossing where they erected wind barriers
- but across much of the West Country, from Gloucester across
to Bath.
Mist and drizzle
The Bristol Channel is a pretty
big source of moisture, so those winds can often bring mist
and drizzle.
The channel’s influence probably
spreads even further afield when it comes to temperatures.
If you’ve ever swum at Weston-super-Mare
or Burnham-on-Sea you probably think it is pretty chilly most
of the time.
In the late spring water temperatures
are as low as 9 or 10 Celsius.
When the wind blows from the
northwest in March and April it can be quite chilly across
much of the region, even when other parts of southern England
are quite warm.
By the same token sea temperatures
of 15 or 16 Celsius in the late autumn can help to keep us
frost-free.
So whether we’re talking rain,
temperature or wind, the Bristol Channel often holds the key
to the West’s weather.
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